New Delhi: An investigation by India News–Cobrapost has unearthed an organized racket involved in selling foodstuffs, bottled water and other stuffs at various railway stations in Delhi NCR at a price higher than what Indian Railways allows, thus skimming the commuters. Not only that, the kingpins of this racket are also selling such stuffs as are not allowed by the Indian Railways. In other words, they are selling food items and other stuffs which are simply banned. This racket is thriving with impunity at various railway stations such as Anand Vihar, Old Delhi, Delhi Cantonment and Sarai Rohilla in the national capital city and Sahibabad and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. Undertaken by Cobrapost reporter Mohd Yusuf, the investigation reveals that the GRP and Railways employees are abating this racket which also employs children.
A visit to the Ghaziabad Railway Station brought Cobrapost reporter face to face with three kingpins of this racket: Shanu, Mohsin and Arshad. They run a racket of vendors who trade in foodstuffs and beverages. Cobrapost reporter first met Shanu on the pretext wanting to work there as a vendor under his protection. While Shanu promptly agreed to allow us, he demanded Rs. 200 as Mafia Tax in retrun, telling us we could sell any damn stuff at the railway station except water. Why not water? We asked. Shanu made a shocking revelation: the water that is being sold at the Ghaziabad Railway Station is not potable water; instead, it is naqli or simply fake or tap water; and running this fake-water selling racket there are none other than the personnel of the Railway Police. When our reporter asked Shanu to provide him a vendor’s badge, Shanu outrightly refused and said that half of the boys of his gang are selling without any badge and whenever they are arrested, they manage to get them back to business. If the illegal vendor meets an accident, Shanu told us, they will not be responsible for his loss of life or limbs. Ply your trade at your own risk, Shanu says. Our interview with Mohsin and Arshad bore the same revelations, how the Railway Police are running water-selling racket at the station. Arshad told us that we could board Delhi-bound trains to sell our stuffs as well but we shall have to shell out more money as entry tax.
